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Victorian Criterium Championships
METEC Driver Training Centre, Kilsyth, April 3, 2004
Husband & wife pairing take Vic crit champs
By Mal Sawford
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After a full day of racing at the testing METEC circuit, a husband and wife team walked away matching wins in the Elite races. Cheryl Walker (Victorian State Home Loans), a former speed skater who has shown plenty of potential, recorded her biggest win to date, and laid the challenge down to Simon to complete the double for the sponsor and the marriage. Simon duly delivered, closing the program with a convincing sprint win after a race long breakaway.
Elite Women
An evenly matched Women's field faced thirty minutes around the technical METEC circuit. Defending champion Kirsty Bortolin (The Freedom Machine) and Jenny Macpherson (Fitzroy Cycles), who had dominated the recent State Track Championships, were clearly the riders too watch.
Indeed, Macpherson produced the strongest attack of the day twenty minutes in, and held off the chase for a little over a lap, before the bunch got back on terms. Gemma Kenessy (Richmond Cyclery) launched a classic counter attack as Macpherson was reeled in, but with the finish looming the bunch was quick to react.
Sam Lindsay, who had won the final round of the 700C- St Kilda Women's Criterium Series the previous week with a surprise attack at the final corner, led the field from the crest of the back straight hill all the way to the sweeping 180 degree corner into the finishing straight. Walker attacked out of the corner and set sail for home, and despite inadvertently shifting into a mammoth gear got a small jump on the field.
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Macpherson wound her gear up, and rapidly closed in on the front runner, but the line came too quickly, and she fell short by just four inches, with an elated Walker taking out the State Championships. Bortolin made up plenty of ground despite being caught at the rear of the field at the home turn, and flew home to claim the bronze medal ahead of Kerrie Baumgartner.
Elite Men
The high quality Men's field contained over 50 riders, including defending Champion Barry Woods (Genovese Coffee/ACR), as well as a strong contingent from Team MG-ZT, Barcelona Olympian Robert Crowe (BikeNOW) and Australian Madison sensations Brad Norton (Drapac Property-Porsche) and Sean Finning (Victorian Institute of Sport).
Break away specialist Paul Richards (MG-ZT) launched the first attack, with British ex-pat Andy Naylor quick to follow. After a few laps alone, a chase group lept form the pack, containing Adam Murchie (Drapac-Porsche), Damien Forster and MG-ZT policeman Matt Goold. Simon Walker also chased up, and the lead group soon numbered six, before the entire bunch briefly regrouped at the fifteen minute mark.
Former Giant Asia and Marco Polo rider Tim Wilson countered, taking Finning and Naylor with him, and with all three pulling strong turns, the trio was soon twenty seconds clear. Back in the bunch, all eyes were on the MG-ZT boys to organize a chase, but none was forthcoming, and the break was thirty-two seconds clear after twenty minutes. A number of small groups attacked the bunch in efforts to organize a cohesive chase without success, before four riders set off in pursuit at the half way mark.
Richards, Walker, Richard England (Le Tour Cycles) and Ben Jackson (SBR) combined well, and got the deficit down to twenty-two seconds, as the leaders closed in on the tail of the main field, before the leading trio lifted to hold the margin steady for another ten minutes. Unexpectedly, with fifteen minutes remaining, Finning lost contact with the lead group, and the four chasers finally began to close the gap, joining Naylor and Wilson in the final five minutes.
Suprisingly, despite having noted sprinters Walker and Jackson in the break, there were no attacks in the closing laps, with Naylor content to try to set Club mate Jackson up for the win. Walker out-cornered Jackson in the final bend and gained two lengths, before Jackson clipped a pedal, causing his backwheel to get airborne. The hard landing led to a blow out, and Jackson was lucky to stay upright - but careered off course and badly checked the run of Wilson, Richards and England.
Ahead of the drama, Walker sprinted home to a comfortable win, with England recovering to finish in the Silver medal position for the second year in succession, while Richards claimed Bronze ahead of Wilson. Adam Murchie and Anthony Smith (Gran Prix Bicycles) escaped the bunch in the final minutes to finish sixth and seventh, with the bunch led home by Brad Norton.
Juniors
The Under 15 race was awarded to the second rider over the line, after Michael Downing (Le Tour) failed the gear limit check. A new set of cranks were the culprit, with the chain ring having two extra teeth than first thought. Pete Johnstone (O'Mara Cycles) was elevated to the Gold Medal spot, ahead of Patrick Drapac and the only female competitor Georgina Freeland.
Alexander Manly (Evolution) took out the Under 17 race, after an attacking race finished with a bunch sprint. Pip Grinter was particularly aggressive, but in the final sprint Manly was too quick for more fancied team mate Leigh Howard, with Nick Walker third. Tess Downing impressed by staying with the diminishing bunch to the finish, to take the Women's Gold Medal ahead of Jess Lane (Gran Prix) one lap down.
Tori Freeland (Drapac) was the standout rider in the Under 19 Women's race. An early attack saw only Erin Downing (Le Tour) and Amy Phillips (Trak Cycles) survive, before Phillips lost contact in the final ten minutes. Freeland had little trouble unloading Downing on the final lap to score a comfortable win.
The Under 19 Men's race saw a steady stream of attacks thin the bunch out, until six riders remained with ten minutes to race. Steven Robb punctured and was unable to rejoin, leaving five to fight for the win. A final lap attack from Zak Dempster (Hardings Cycles) at the base of the short climb saw him twenty meters clear at the summit, and he was able to extend his advantage all the way to the line to claim the win. Pat Shaw (Giant) outsprinted Mitchell Docker to claim the Silver Medal.
Masters
Danny Kah won Gold in the Master 2 race, after riding clear early on with David Buntin and Allen Timmer-Arrends. Timmer-Arrends lost contact in the final laps and left the other pair to battle out the win. Despite Buntin forcing Kah to lead the entire final lap, he had no answer for Kah's kick at the finish, giving Kah the State Championships.
Peter Galvin outclassed the Masters 3 field, which ended with a bunch sprint. Galvin was five lengths clear with both arms up in an impressive sprinting display, with Mountain Bike specialist Chris Beales claimed second ahead of Michael Mitchell.
Rob Licciardo broke the Masters 4 field up early on, but ended up with two fast finishers along for the ride. Glen Hutchinson (Salter Cycles) was too fresh at the finish, holding off a late charge from Agostino Giramondo to claim the Gold. In the Masters 8 and 9 race, Ray Smith attacked midway to time trial to a good win ahead of Max Read (Kennedy Cycle Fit).
Photography
Images by Mal Sawford
- The winning couple Cheryl and Simon Walker
- All smiles before the women get underway
- Gemma Goyne leads the women’s race
- Jenny Macpherson on the attack
- Gemma Kenessey solo
- Walker hangs on by inches to take the Victorian Championships
- Victorian women’s criterium gold medallist Cheryl Walker
- Sean Finning was one of the pre-race favorites
- Defending Champion Barry Woods found the pace too hot in 2004
- Paul Richards and Andy Naylor launched the early break
- Action in the Men’s bunch
- The break of Tim Wilson, Naylor and Finning looked to have the race sewn up
- Four chasers (Richards, Walker, Jackson and England) made contact with the leaders late in the race
- The break at the bell
- Simon Walker wins the 2004 Victorian Elite Criterium Championships
- The elite podium - Richard England, Simon Walker and Paul Richards
- The Under 15s attack the S bend
- Michael Downing took line honours before his technical DQ
- The all-important roll out gear check
- Pete Johnstone - gold medallist in the under 15s
- Georgina Freeland took the bronze medal in the mixed under 15 field
- Grant Bowker-Bell leads the under 17 race
- Pip Grinter was the most aggressive rider in the under 17 race
- Eventual winner Abraham Manly tried a solo break early on
- Manly takes the bunch sprint by a tyre over Leigh Howard
- Men’s under 17 winner Abraham Manly
- Women’s under 17 winner Tess Downing was very competitive in the mixed field
- Erin Downing swears she enjoys her racing, here she leads Freeland and Amy Phillips
- Tori Freeland powers to the win in the under 19 category
- Women’s under 19 gold medallist Tori Freeland
- The Medallists escape in the masters 2 race
- Danny Kah too good for David Buntin
- Four riders escaped in the masters 3 Race
- Peter Galvin celebrates his win in style
- Gold medallist in the masters 3 race, Peter Galvin
- Rob Licciardo leads masters 4 winner Glen Hutchinson and Ago Giramondo
- Ray Smith took gold in the ‘old masters’ event
- Look Ma, no hands
- Mitchell Docker sees who survived his attack in the under 19 men’s race
- Dempster first, daylight second in the under 19 race
- Pat Shaw pips Docker for the silver medal
- Under 19 Victorian criterium champion Zac Dempster
Results
Men/Women 15, 20 minutes + 2 laps 1 Peter Johnstone (Chelsea & Peninsula) 2 Patrick Drapac (Brunswick) 3 Georgina Freeland (Stawell-Great Western) 4 Lachlan Ritchie (Bendigo) Men/Women 17, 25 minutes + 2 laps 1 Abraham Manly (Wangaratta) 2 Leigh Howard (Geelong West) 3 Nicholas Walker (Brunswick) 4 Alexander Smyth (Carnegie Caulfield) Women Tess Downing (Carnegie Caulfield) Jessica Lane (Carnegie Caulfield) Women 19, 25 minutes + 2 laps 1 Tori Freeland (Geelong West) 2 Erin Downing (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Amy Phillips (Carnegie Caulfield) 4 Emma Beveridge (Latrobe Valley) Women, 30 minutes + 2 laps 1 Cheryl Walker (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Jenny Macpherson (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Kirsty Bortolin (Blackburn) 4 Kerrie Baumgartner (St Kilda) 5 Briana James (St Kilda) 6 Gemma Goyne (Carnegie Caulfield) Masters 2, 30 minutes + 2 laps 1 Danny Kah (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 David Buntin (Carnegie Caulfield) 3 Allen Timmer-Arrends (Latrobe Valley) Masters 3, 30 minutes + 2 laps 1 Peter Galvin (St Kilda) 2 Chris Beales (Dirt Riders) 3 Michael Mitchell (Footscray) Masters 4, 25 minutes + 2 laps 1 Glen Hutchinson (Footscray) 2 Agostino Giramondo (Footscray) 3 Rob Licciardo (Carnegie Caulfield) Masters 8 & 9, 20 minutes + 2 laps 1 Ray Smith (Chelsea & Peninsual) 2 Max Read (Carnegie Caulfield) Men 19, 30 minutes + 3 laps 1 Zak Dempster (Bendigo) 2 Patrick Shaw (Ballarat/Sebastapol) 3 Mitchell Docker (Brunswick) 4 John Walker (Brunswick) 5 James Stewart (Geelong West) Men, 60 minutes + 5 laps 1 Simon Walker (Carnegie Caulfield) 2 Richard England (Blackburn) 3 Paul Richards (Warragul) 4 Tim Wilson (Geelong West) 5 Andy Naylor (St Kilda) 6 Adam Murchie (Footscray) 7 Anthony Smith (Carnegie Caulfield) 8 Brad Norton (Shepparton) 9 Tommy Nankervis (South Australia) 10 Matthew Goold (Carnegie Caulfield)
